February 2025 Climate Outlook
What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Our weak La Niña persists this February.
La Niña conditions are still present according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are running -0.6°C below normal in the Niño 3.4 region, which is an important indicator region for determining ENSO phases.
Detecting La Niña in a Changing Climate
Global oceans have been very warm since 2023
It is no secret that global Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) have been steadily increasing for decades (Fig. 1) due to climate change. Notably, conditions since 2023 have been considerably warmer (highlighted in yellow on Fig.
Washington State Climate Office Launches New Website, Advancing Strategic Goals
The Washington State Climate Office (WASCO) has officially launched a new website and introduced an updated visual identity, marking a significant step forward in the Office’s ongoing evolution. This milestone comes nearly a year after the release of WASCO’s strategic plan and demonstrates a continued commitment to expanding climate services, strengthening science communication and community engagement, and supporting informed decision-making in the pursuit of state-wide and regional climate resilience using historical climate data and seasonal forecasts.
Read moreJanuary 2025 Climate Outlook
What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): La Niña is here!
On January 9, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) issued a “La Niña Advisory” due to La Niña being present in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Rain on Snow
This is the time of year when it’s not just the climate geeks who are following what’s happening with our mountain snowpack. A range of audiences from winter sports enthusiasts to water managers are interested.
Read more
Winter Wind Chill Temperatures in WA State
Regular readers of our newsletter are quite familiar with the usual temperature and precipitation patterns across Washington state during winter. On the regional scale there are notable differences between the maritime conditions prevailing west of the Cascades, and the more continental conditions on the east side.
Read moreTalking about climate and weather with the Office of the Washington State Climatologist
From its base at the southwest corner of the Seattle campus, the Office of the Washington State Climatologist provides expertise, tools and resources on “all things climate” to partners and communities across the state.
Read moreNovember 2024 Climate Outlook
What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Neutral ENSO conditions, La Niña likely by late fall/early winter
According to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), ENSO-neutral conditions are still present in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Water Year in Review!
We recently held our annual Water Year 2024 Recap & 2025 Outlook Meeting. As a refresher, we often look at our climate through the lens of the “water year”, which goes from October 1st through September 30th, as opposed to the usual calendar year.
Read more
Study Review: Trends in Flooding for Washington State
As we head into the flood season we thought we would dig up a USGS study from a few years back that took a look at past trends in floods (full citation below).
Read more